Birth of Steele
by ThatTexasKid
Summary: When convicted felon Matthew Steele is executed for his crimes, he is unexpectedly given a second chance at life, but only as an entirely different species...Will Steele adjust to his new life and find redemption, or will his second life fall into chaos just like his first...
1. Death

**Hello all, and welcome to my latest story! This is going to end up one of three things.**

**A one-shot trailer to a series that I will later write.**

**The first story of the mentioned series**

** If y'all want to keep this going, and have faster updates, please do not forget to follow, favorite, or review! I think I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BESIDES STEELE!**

_Location: Huntsville, Texas_

_Date: April 27, 2014_

In the legendary Huntsville Prison, there was once a single cell. Now, being a prison and all, the area contained many cells. But this cell was quite different. In this particular cell, there was a man contained inside, but this was no ordinary man.

The man sat on his bed, his head engulfed in his hands. He wore a plain orange jumpsuit, the stereotypical uniform for any incarcerated man.

He looked up at the wall, revealing a pale face, dark brown hair, and sapphire blue eyes that seemed to peer into ones very soul.

An officer of the law then approached the man's cell, and gave the prisoner an expression of contempt before speaking.

"Matthew Steele, aka Prisoner 24-1B, it is time for your execution by method of the electric chair."

Steele, which was the name he preferred to go by, grumbled angrily as he stood up from the position on his bead.

The pathway to the execution room was white, long, and narrow. To Steele, the whiteness of the walls seemed to symbolize all of the blood that was about to be spattered all over them.

Whoever had decided on that color was a shit head.

Finally, Steele and the officer approached a plain-looking brown door, which obviously led into a room. There were no windows, probably to give the person who was being killed some privacy. Steele chuckled at the thought. As if someone dying cared about privacy!

The officer slowly opened the door to the room, and violently pushed Steele in, causing the younger felon to fall down. Steele grunted as the officer began to laugh hardily.

"We have to give you some insult to injury Steele. Die feeling like a fool."

Steele narrowed his eyes, and stood up. Without even pausing to look back at the officer, Steele briskly walked over to the resident electric chair, and sat down comfortably. The officer strapped him in the chair, as a tall man holding a clipboard entered the room. The man sighed, adjusted the glasses he wore on his face, and spoke menacingly.

"Matthew Coriolanus Steele. You have been sentenced to die due to fifteen counts of armed robbery, three illegal weapons charges, two counts of capital murder, and one count of vehicular manslaughter. Do you have any final remarks before your execution?"

Steele kept his sapphire blue eyes narrowed. His mouth curved into a snarl, and Steele spoke, a hard rigor in his gruff voice.

"Yes I do. My name is Matthew Steele. I am twenty-four years old. I am about to die. I am guilty of all I am charged with. I hold no remorse for what have I done. I wish I could've died fighting, but that seems that will not be the case."

Steele paused, and the executioner cleared his throat before speaking again. "Will that be all?"

Steele shook his head. "No. I have one more thing to say to the two of you."

The executioner held his hand on the lever, waiting for Steele to finish up.

"I'll see you again in hell…LET IT RIP!"

The execution pulled the lever down hard, and millions of volts of electricity began to shoot directly through Steele's body. The pain was intense, but he would not cry out, and he would not go down easy. Through all the pain, the suffering, and the noise, Steele finally decided to try to cry out.

"FU-"

Then, there was nothing. Nothing but pure blackness. Steele could not see, he could not hear, he could not speak, and he could not move. But then…there was something.

Steele suddenly felt his eyes flutter, and he found he could see again. He was floating, looking just as he did when he…died? There was the same black expanse surrounding him, and there was no gravity to limit him.

Steele grumbled in annoyance. "What a lovely purgatory. Guess hell was just too good for me."

Steele was not expecting a response, but one came nonetheless. Steele could not see the voice, but it was most certainly there.

"No. You should consider yourself lucky, Matthew. You have been given another chance."

"Chance? What chance? I don't need another motherfu-"

The voice interrupted the dead man. "That will be enough, Steele. You will be given another life, in another place. You have been given a shot at redemption boy, use it wisely."

Suddenly, Steele felt massive rushes of pain spread quickly throughout his entire body. He held out his arm to find that there was fur growing at a wildly fast pace, tearing off his human skin in the process.

His fingernails transfigured into sharp claws that quickly retracted into his hands, which were now slowly becoming paws. He felt his entire torso begin to compress into himself. His ears felt more swollen than they ever had been before.

Steele's nose was shrinking and then it widened slightly. The dead felon suddenly felt himself slam into something face-first. He tried to think of what he had fallen into, but he was unconscious before he could finish his thought.

Unbeknownst to the passed out "man", a large rock formation jetted out of the ground in the distance, dominating the surrounding Savannah biome.

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now! As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE ME REVIEW! If I feel I get enough reception, I will try to continue this sage whenever possible. Until then, take care and thank all of y'all very much for reading. Bye!**

**-Tex-**


	2. Reborn

**Hello to all, and welcome to the chapter! I would like to thank Keep Calm and Join Team Loki as well as my guest for reviewing the first chapter. When all of y'all are finished reading this, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I think that I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**-Tex-**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Once Steele finally regained consciousness, he was once again floating in a sea of darkness. He tried to open what he thought was his mouth, but not a sound came out of it.

The executed felon once again heard the very same voice as before. "Do not yet try to speak Matthew, for you have not yet been reborn. As this is the last time I will speak to you, I have decided to leave you with a very small present. Your paws will retain the same dexterity and advantages as the common human hand. You will have thumbs, will be able to make a fist, and will be able to grasp. Goodbye Matthew Steele, and use my gift wisely."

The voice disappeared, and all of a sudden, bright white light began to engulf Steele, as he desperately tried to open his eyes. As he was doing this, the felon began to hear voices coming from all around him.

"He's so cute…"

"He has your eyes Nala…"

"It's amazing…I'm actually a grandfather!"

"I don't think I've ever seen something so weak…except for maybe Nuka!"

"Cut the shit Vitani!"

"Kovu! No swearing in the presence of the cub!"

"Honey, he can't understand me!"

If Steele were to be capable of smirking, he would have at that very moment. He could very clearly understand absolutely everything that the voices were currently saying. The bright lights surrounding him ceased to blur the surrounding environment, and Steele could now clearly see five lions staring down, directly in his direction.

His new eyes widened in complete shock at the sight, the now former human having never have thought that his reincarnation would be represented by a completely different species.

_Fantastic. I've been born into a family of anthropomorphic lions. What could possibly make this day any stranger for me?_

A lioness with amber eyes and fur the color of pure gold, known to the others as Kiara, picked up Steele in her arms and began to lick him clean of the birth.

The former human did not respond well to this treatment, and Steele decided to voice his displeasure.

"_Get your vile tongue off of me you filthy lioness. Have you not bathed in years? Your god-forsaken muzzle smells like the toilets in the prison! You WILL die for whatever shit you have done to me so far!"_

Steele continued to prattle on about his malcontent disposition of his current state, but to the lionesses, all that they could hear was the soft mewing of a newborn cub. Kiara continued to beam with pride over her new son.

"He's so beautiful Kovu. The heir to the Pridelands. What do you think his name should be?"

Steele turned his young eyes towards the lion known as Kovu, whose emerald green eyes narrowed in thought, his pitch black mane flowing slightly in the breezy African wind as his chocolate brown fur bristled in thought.

"I have no idea Kiki. Do you have any ideas?"

The new mother shook her head in negation, and Simba and Nala shared a quick smile, both of them having come up with the exact same idea for a name. Steele stared at his…grandparents…with a puzzled expression implanted on his face.

Nala turned to the new parents, glee sparkling in her sapphire blue pupils. "How about the two of you name him Unio, to celebrate the union of the two prides?"

Steele once again tried in vain to voice his astute displeasure. _"How dare you? How dare you? My name is Matthew Steele, and no matter what anybody, lion or human, tries to do, that will always be my name. I will not answer to Unio. It's pathetic and disparaging. Once the capability of my vocal chords develops accordingly, it seems I will have to notify these morons of that notion."_

Kiara's eyes widened, and she grinned, her mate also showing a similar expression on his scarred face. Even the sourpuss Vitani was smirking and twitching slightly, as if she was attempting to hold back a grin as well."

"Mom, that's a perfect name. I love it. How about you Kovu?"

The chocolate-furred lion continued to grin. "It's perfect Kiara…Unio it is. When is the monkey going to present him?"

Kiara shrugged in response. "Whenever we tell him to, I guess."

Steele shuddered in the arms of the young lioness. "_No! That is too far now! You want to have me presented by a freaking monkey? What the hell is wrong with you people…well, lions, BUT IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING! I will not lower myself to being presented by a glorified butt-scratcher."_

Kiara chuckled lightly at the apparent mewing of her apparent young son. "Kovu, isn't he just precious?"

The large male chuckled as well. "That he is, my darling, that he is."

The two new parents, two new grandparents, and the single new aunt would crowd around Steele for the rest of the night, giving the former human little privacy to contemplate his current situation.

The night sky now seemed to smile over the Pridelands. The stars were glimmering, the moon was full, and Pride Rock appeared just as majestic as it had always been. It was as if the Pridelands were about to enter a new era of peace and prosperity, but little did they know that they were about to have an entirely new set of unusual problems to manage…

**Well, that is all that I am going to write for now. As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! I will try to have the next chapter on the website whenever I possibly can. Well, I think that I have babbled enough, so take care, and thank y'all very much for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	3. A Presentation Like No Other

**Hello all, and welcome to the third chapter of the story! I'd like to give a quick shout-out to Anonymous13 B, Keep Calm and Join Team Loki, Dark Gambler, amullonde, and my guest for reviewing the last chapter. Also, for all concerned about the fairly high amount of foul language, I'm not that much of a fan either, but Steele is an executed felon, and it's part of his character, so bear with me on that one if you can. Thanks. When y'all are finished reading, please do not forget to kindly leave me a review. Well, I think that I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

Night finally fell upon Matthew Steele's first day as a lion cub, his second life. For the entirety of the time since of birth, the executed felon had been poked, padded at, and doted over.

How he hated such attention.

The defenseless cub lay in the paws of his sleeping "mother". His "father" was tightly snuggled into her, and he was snoring happily.

Steele rolled his eyes, which were still the same shade of sapphire blue, at the overprotectiveness of his new family.

The former human did not regard himself as some sort of precious commodity. To Steele, he was nothing more than a mangled ball of fluff with two big-ass eyes. The lion cub sighed in annoyance, and closed his eyes, preparing for his first slumber in his new body.

**TLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLKTLK**

"_Matthew. Can you please go upstairs for a second? Your father and I really need to discuss a few things?"_

_A young Steele, his age probably around ten, nodded in response to his mother. The boy bounced up the stairs of the house and ran into the interior of his room. The door quickly slammed shut._

_The boy's father then turned to the mother. "What did you want to talk about Martha?"_

_The woman narrowed her eyes. "Brent Apple Steele, I'm tiring of you treating me the way you do! I am your wife, not your personal slave!"_

_Brent narrowed his sea green eyes, and scratched his blonde hair. "Woman, don't you talk back to me!"_

_The man marched up to his wife, and with all his fury, slapped her hard across the cheek. Martha gasped in complete horror at the action. Snarling like a wild animal, Martha punched Brent directly on his eye._

_He cried out in pain, and then tried to kick Martha, who skillfully ducked out of the way. _

_From his room, young Steele could easily hear the violent brawling of his parents. How the young boy loathed his father. He never worked, never spent time with him, and was always beating and berating his mother._

_But this time was different. This time, something inside of young Matthew Steele snapped completely loose. He marched to his father's room, entered, and then opened the closet in the back of the room._

_Standing up in a prominent position was a loaded hunting rifle with a large scope attached on top. _

_With icy determination in his sapphire blue eyes, and without hesitation, Steele picked up the rifle before sprinting to the top of the staircase._

_His biological parents were still engaging in fisticuffs. Steele narrowed his eyes, pointed the rifle in the direction of his father, and looked into the scope._

_Both fighters knew something was wrong, and they turned to Matthew, both of their eyes widening in complete fear. Brent faced his son and help his hands up in surrender._

"_Matty…it's me…your daddy. Just put the gun down, buddy. Just put the gun down."_

_Instead of placing the gun on the floor, Steele pulled the trigger._

_**BLAM…BLAM…BLAM!**_

Steele opened his eyes, and was suddenly blinded by bright white light. When his vision cleared, he saw Kiara looking down upon him, grinning widely.

"Good morning Unio my sunshine. Today is your presentation to the kingdom that you will one day rule. Don't worry, though. Your daddy and I will be more than young enough to see you achieve that."

Steele rolled his eyes. _As if I cared._

Several minutes passed, and absolutely nothing happened. Kiara simply held her disgruntled offspring in her paws, waiting diligently for her cue.

When the princess heard the roars of her father and her husband, she knew that the time had come.

She grabbed Steele by the nape, picked him up in her mouth, and began to walk towards the very tip of Pride Rock.

This process was less than lovely in the opinion of Steele. _"No matter how much I bathe, I will never get the feeling of lioness saliva off of me."_

The edge soon arrived, and Nala, Simba, Kovu, and old Rafiki were standing proudly on the edge, looking proudly at the wide assortment of animals that were gathered below.

Kiara, with Steele dangling from her mouth, walked up towards Rafiki, with the cub's eyes slowly widening in embarrassment and horror. The old mandrill smiled at the princess before taking the newborn cub from her mouth, the cub flailing his limbs in a futile attempt to escape.

"_Get me the hell out of here! I am not a toy! AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, SOMEBODY TELL THE ANTELOPES TO PUT ON SOME DAMN PERFUME!"_

Meanwhile, Rafiki cracked open a mysterious fruit before dipping one of his thumbs in the bright red juice. Chuckling, the shaman rubbed some of the juice on Steele's head, causing the cub to grimace.

"_This is the equivalent of a zoo animal dumping my head in a bucket of orange juice."_

From a patch on the end of his staff, Rafiki poured a little bit of powder into one of his hands. The old mandrill then sprinkled the powder over Steele's face, causing him to sneeze. This only served to increase Steele's anger.

Suddenly, Steele suddenly remembered the gift that the mysterious voice had given him. He grinned as he clenched one of his paws into a fist, just like any human has the ability to with their hands.

The former human held up his fist, and punched Rafiki in the nose as hard as he possibly could. The old mandrill, stunned, dropped the cub on the ground in order to hold his injured nose with both hands. He then spoke to Kovu and Kiara, both of whom had concerned expressions on their faces.

"There is something different about that cub. Whether this is good or bad, I do not know, but be wary." He then turned to Simba. "Cancel the ceremony. I think the little one may have broken my nose."

Steele smiled internally when he heard those words. _"Serves those bitches right. Nobody degrades me and gets away with it!"_

Nala then roared in order to signal the conclusion of the ceremony, and the pride retreated back into Pride Rock, all of them completely stunned from the day's events.

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now! As I mentioned previously, PLEASE do not forget to kindly leave me a review. I will try to update this story whenever I possibly can, and I'd like to thank all of you so much for taking the time to read this. Well, I do believe that I have babble enough, so I think I'm going to check out. Until the next time, take good care of yourselves, and again, thank you very much for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	4. Partner in Crime

**Hello all, and I'd like to welcome you to the fourth chapter of my story. I'd like to give a quick shout out to everybody who reviewed the last chapter! Y'all are all awesome, and it is your reviews, follows, and favorites that keep me writing!**

**For all who are uncomfortable with the swearing in this story, it is simply the nature of the characters involved. I apologize for any offense. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW!**

**Well, I think that I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

A slightly older Steele let the soft breeze of the Pridelands blow through his golden fur. His sapphire blue eyes glimmered with awe as the bright orange sun rose over the Savannah.

The former felon sighed. It had been two moths since his rebirth, and so far, his new life was more annoying than the last. His "parents" and "grandparents" were constantly doting over him, watching his every move like a vampire stalking its victim.

As soon as Steele was old enough to tell them how he felt, he did so accordingly. Needless to say, their surprise at his massive amount of intelligence was quite evident. As the executed human pondered these events, he noticed a presence behind him and sighed softly.

"Good morning…M-Mother."

The cub grimaced at his own words. He had been trying to keep his true identity a secret, and he felt the strange pause might arouse some degree of suspicion. Luckily for him, Kiara did not seem to notice. She walked up to the prince and nuzzled him gently.

"Good morning Unio. You're up quite early today!"

Steele shrugged and responded in a monotone voice. "I'm almost always awake at around this hour. The African sunrise is…most exemplary to say the least. "

Kiara laughed softly. Motherhood had changed her quite a bit, and quickly too. No longer was she a naïve, ditzy cub, but a strong lioness, kind, feisty, and wise.

"I agree with you on that, my son. Have you seen your father today?"

Steele rolled his sapphire blue eyes. "He went on patrol about an hour ago, as he usually does."

Kiara sighed softly. "Well, I better go find my wayward husband." She rubbed her paw on her son's little head. "And YOU stay out of trouble."

Kiara walked away to find Kovu, leaving Steele to only growl in annoyance. Trouble? Him? No. He had been nothing but an angel since his rebirth. Besides punching Rafiki of course. Steele smiled. He still enjoyed reflecting on that moment.

The thought of his grandfather came into mind, causing the prince to sigh. He had been taught the motto Hakuna Matata, pioneered by the late Timon and Pumbaa, but it never caught on with Steele. He had a much better motto to live under, which he began to whisper to himself.

"My motto is simpler. What is mine is mine, and what is thine is mine. No better slogan than that."

Steele chuckled, and slowly pranced down Pride Rock into the Savannah below. Massive palm trees, beautiful creeks, and tall grasses surrounded the young former human. Even in his first life, Steele had always had a massive appreciation for the astute beauty of nature.

Steele closed his eyes as he continued to trot, smelling the sweet air around him. Suddenly, the crown prince crashed into a medium-sized ball of fur, and quickly opened his eyes.

A grey dog, probably with some wolf in him, sat on the ground groaning, rubbing his head with one paw. He snarled at Steele, anger evident in his voice. "What the hell, man? Watch where you are going next time, dumbass!"

Steele recognized the canine's voice. Memories suddenly began to flood into his head.

_It was the very first day of second grade, and little Matthew Steele was terrified about starting school once again. His family had just moved from Mesa, Arizona to downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. The boy did not know anybody, and was literally shivering with nervousness as he stepped in to the classroom._

_The boy quickly rushed to the first open seat, and there was another boy next to him, slightly larger, with black hair, light brown skin, and light brown eyes. The boy leaned over to a still-shivering Matthew._

"_What's your name?"_

_Young Matthew sighed. "Matthew Steele."_

"_I'm Justin Wawanaka."_

**Ten years later…**

"_You ready Justin?"_

_The brown-eyed man smiled before slipping on his ski mask. "Hell yeah I am! We're going to be rich!"_

_Steele laughed darkly, before slipping on his own mask. "It's only one bank, Justin. Five more, and then we can call ourselves wealthy."_

_Justin also chuckled darkly. "I like the way you think Steele. Let's go!"_

_The two men hopped out of their truck and dashed into the bank. Needless to say, the teller was quite surprised to see two thieves both holding machine guns demanding all of his money. Justin snarled._

"_We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Mr. Teller. I'm warning you though, the hard way involves people turning into Swiss cheese."_

_The teller shivered in fright before running over to the safe. He took all of the money from inside, and handed it to Steele and Justin. Steele grinned at the man._

"_Thank you for your cooperation. Have a wonderful day!"_

**-TLK-**

"_Steele, you have to get out of here now!"_

_The blue-eyed man gasped in horror. "Justin, if I go, you're going to get yourself killed!"_

"_You're my best friend Steele, better me than you. Take the loot and just go!"_

"_But Justin-"_

"_MATTHEW STEELE, I TOLD YOU TO RUN DAMN IT!"_

_Steele finally relented, and he began to sprint away from the scene. Not long after, he heard three distinct noises._

_**BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!**_

**-TLK-**

"Justin? Is that you?"

The wolfdog continued to growl angrily. "How the hell do you know who I am?"

The executed felon grinned. "It's me, Steele."

Justin's eyes widened in shock. "Steele? But how?"

"I got caught. Sentenced to death. Let me just say, the electric chair isn't fun." The young lion then chuckled darkly. "Seems that we both share a similar _predicament_."

Justin grinned. "Indeed we do. Was your purgatory black and hopeless?"

"Indeed. One second, I'm getting electrocuted, the next, I'm the crown prince of the Pridelands."

The other ex-human chuckled. "Sounds similar to me. One second, I got a bullet going through my chamb, the next, I'm the son of a male dog and a female wolf."

Steele nodded in understanding. "Let's take some time to catch up. I think we both have much to discuss."

**Well, Steele's partner in crime is having the same issues as Steele himself. Thank you all very much for reading this chapter, and as mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! I will try to have the next chapter up whenever I can. Until then, take care, and thanks again for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	5. Winds of Change

**Hello all, and welcome to the chapter! I apologize for the time since the last update. Life happened, and then I got sick, which was not much of a helping hand either. I'd like to give a quick shout-out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Y'all are awesome, and I really appreciate your comments. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW! Well, I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

_A twenty-two year old Steele was sitting in the main seating area of a Starbucks in downtown Seattle, Washington. His Sketchers sneakers were placed on top of the table. He wore bright blue jeans, and a plain grey sweatshirt, with the hood placed over his head, skillfully covering his face._

_Steele perked up as he saw a woman walk through the doors of the restaurant. She had fiery red hair, very pale skin, brown, almost black eyes, and was wearing a black jumpsuit with equally black, leather pants._

_Steele's face brightened, and he engulfed in the young woman in a massive hug. The affection was not returned. The young man smiled at the woman._

"_Karen, babe, it's so great to see you again! Come on and grab a coffee! I'll pay!"_

_The woman grimaced and pushed Steele off of her. "Uh…Matt…I don't have a lot of time, so, uh, I'm kind of leaving you."_

_Steele's jaw dropped. "What…why?"_

_Karen grimaced. "Well, James Turner asked me to marry him, and I said yes, even though I hate his guts. As you know, the Turner family is incredibly powerful politically. No offense, but that life is frankly more desirable. I love you, Matt, but James will give me a better situation."_

_Steele narrowed his sapphire blue eyes before vicious slapping the woman on the cheek. "YOU BITCH! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?"_

_After rubbing her cheek, Karen sighed in annoyance. "Goodbye Matt. I was hoping that you would understand."_

"_No."_

_Karen narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, no?"_

_Steele snarled in anger. "You won't be leaving here…"_

_Karen chuckled in amusement. "Make me stay."_

_Steele said nothing, but he pulled out a tranquilizer pistol hidden in his jacket, and fired three shots directly at her. She immediately slumped to the floor unconscious as the surrounding civilians gasped in horror. _

_Steele casually stepped over her sleeping body and walked out of the store. A blue Mercedes was waiting for him outside, with a still-living Justin being the driver. _

"_How did it go?"_

_Steele narrowed his eyes. "James Turner is giving a speech at City Hall, isn't he?"_

"_Yeah, why?"_

_Steele said nothing before loading a sniper rifle that had been hidden in the trunk of the vehicle. "We've got some debts to pay."_

**-TLK-**

Prince Consort Kovu of the Pridelands stood on the tip of Pride Rock, as his son often did, letting the morning breeze of the Pridelands blow gently through his mane, which was still the color of night.

As the bright orange sun rose higher and higher over the Pridelands, the lion reflected over the cub that his son was. He thought the future king was simply way too intelligent for his age, and that something was a little bit off…

His thoughts evaporated as he sensed the presence of his most favorite lioness directly behind him. The brow-furred male smirked in response.

"Morning sweetheart."

Kiara grinned, and she approached her husband, and she placed her head under his, nuzzling him gently. "Rough night?"

"No, I slept fine. I've just been thinking is all."

Kiara sighed. "About what, Kovu?"

Kovu grimaced slightly. "My life, your life, Simba, the Pridelands, Unio, just about everything."

Kiara chuckled lightly, her amber eyes dancing. "You worry too much, Outsider!"

Kovu smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Was that a challenge, Pridelander?"

"Maybe."

Kovu chuckled before gently pouncing at his wife. The duo began to playfully wrestle at the top of Pride Rock, laughing constantly as they did so. Eventually, Kovu pinned Kiara down to the ground, a smug expression on his face.

"Pinned ya, Pridelander!"

Kiara chuckled, and Kovu leaned down to nuzzle her. Instead of returning the nuzzle, Kiara took Kovu's ear and lovingly whispered into it.

"I'm pregnant. Again."

Kovu's face became lovestruck and boyish as he nuzzled his mate in response to the news. The two rushed back into the den to notify the reigning monarchs of the announcement.

Meanwhile, Steele stood at the edge of the Pridelands, simply waiting for his old friend to arrive. His golden fur bristled in the gentle wind, and his sapphire blue eyes quizzically scanned the surrounding areas. It was not long until Steele began to grow bored, and in his boredom, Steele unsheathed a single claw, and began to scratch words into the soft dirt of the Pridelands.

Once he was finished, Steele stepped back to read what he had thoughtlessly written

_Who am I?_

_A villain sly,_

_I am nothing but a wound,_

_The blood of my foes have soaked the flowers bloomed,_

_But in the depths of my heart,_

_A very important part,_

_A lion will indeed rise,_

_My claws, they're sharp, and strong,_

_But I cannot ensure no wrong,_

_The wolves may howl,_

_Vicious beasts on the prowl, _

_They will try, _

_Oh yes, they will try,_

_But the lion is still king,_

_My enemies will be disposed of with a careless fling!_

_And in glorious victory I will sing!_

_Who am I?_

_A villain sly,_

_I am nothing but a wound,_

_The blood of my foes have soaked the flowers_

_Bloomed._

As Steele finished reading, he heard a familiar voice coming from directly behind him. "Way to go Shakespeare. Capturing your deepest thoughts on a plot of dirt just to be taken away by the wind."

Steele sighed in response. "It's a way of coping. I still don't know how I manage to call Kiara and Kovu my parents."

Justin shrugged in response, his grey fur also bristling in the wind. "I dunno. Guess it just becomes habit."

Steele nodded in agreement. "That sounds about right. Come. Let us…modify…the original plan that we had."

Justin grinned in response, his ears quickly becoming erect. "That seems perfect. It's too long since the last time I've plotted political manipulation."

Steele chuckled. "That's what we get for dying. Let's go."

**Well, that is all that I am going to write for now. I hope that all of y'all enjoyed the chapter. As mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW! Also, the poem that Steele recited is mine, and mine alone. I wrote it, and it cannot be used without my permission. Well, thanks for reading, and I will see all of you next time!**

**-Tex-**


	6. Echoes of the Past

**Hello all, and I'd like to welcome you to the chapter. I'm sorry that this update took a lot longer than they usually do. Life really got the better of me, and I have had very little time to write. When all of y'all are finished reading, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have done quite enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the next chapter.**

**-Tex-**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

"Great Kings Kiara, just how many god-forsaken cubs do you and your boy-toy plan on having in the near future? Six? Twelve? Two hundred and twenty-nine? What the hell are the two of you doing when Nala and I aren't around?"

Kiara grimaced in response, and Kovu smothered his face into his paws. Nala gave the couple a sympathetic smile before covering her husband's muzzle with a single, cream paw. She the, with all her might, pushed Simba to the other side of the den before grinning sheepishly at her daughter and son-in-law.

"Sorry about my idiot of a mate. Congratulations! I'm going to be a grandmother yet again. When did the two of you find out?"

Kiara grinned widely, her amber eyes sparkling. "I found out about a week ago. I had been feeling ill again, so I went to see Rafiki about it. Kovie found out yesterday."

The princess nuzzled Kovu lovingly, who chuckled lightly before rolling his emerald green eyes. "The monkey actually proved himself useful for once. I still haven't forgiven him for that Upendi nonsense." The brown lion shuddered. "That was both the happiest and most terrifying moment of my entire life."

Kiara burst out laughing and Nala too began to snicker. This continued for several minutes, before Kiara controlled herself enough to speak.

"I think that scarred you far more than Zira."

Kiara bit her tongue, knowing all too well that she had said the wrong thing. Kovu and Nala both winced, and the former felt a massive twinge of sadness spring to life within him. Kiara, feeling incredibly guilty, gently buried her head into Kovu's midnight black mane.

"Kovu, I'm sorry…I really didn't intend to do that. I thought I was past speaking without thinking first, but evidently, I still have quite a bit of work to do."

Her amber eyes tried to glue their gaze to the floor, but Kovu brought her face up with a paw, causing Nala to smirk. Kovu spoke, his voice carrying a gentle, forgiving tone. His scar gleamed in the light of the day.

"Baby, it's all right. I forgive you, even though there was absolutely nothing to forgive. Zira is still just a very touchy subject for me. I'm still coping…give me a few years, and that joke will be hilarious."

Kiara grinned, but Kovu's expression suddenly became solemn, something that Kiara noticed. "What's the matter Kovu?"

The future king sighed. "With Unio getting a sibling in a few months, I really think it is time to tell him the story of Scar."

Nala gasped in shock, and Kiara responded with a wary tone in her voice. "Kovu, are you sure it's the right time? He's still so young…it might traumatize him, and it may even cause him to treat his new brother or sister differently."

"Kovu's right. It's time."

The trio turned to see Simba padding once again towards them. He sighed solemnly, and spoke again. "I wasn't much older when I was told by that demon that I had committed patricide. Besides, Unio is by far the most mature cub that I have ever seen in my entire life…no offense Kiara."

The lioness chuckled. "None taken, Daddy."

Simba chuckled as well before speaking again, his bright red mane flowing in the light African breeze. "Anyway, it really is time for Unio. Speaking of that boy, where the hell is he?"

Kovu rolled his eyes. "He's in the eastern forest again. He's been going there every single day…"

Nala's eyes widened. "Isn't that where the Prideland wolf pack lives?"

Kiara nodded slowly. "They're not hostile though. Who knows? Maybe he's made friends with one of the wolf pups or something. It's not like there are any other cubs in the pride."

A single thought suddenly appeared in the minds of every single member of the Prideland royal family. A thought that dominated the entire scene, and soon, all of the lions spoke at the exact same instance.

"Just like Scar did with the hyenas…"

Meanhwile, Steele was wandering through the Pridelands, having just left Justin after the discussion they had over the future political power that would be theirs. Steele smirked with glee. Whenever that happened, shit was going to really hit the fan. Bitches were going to get their asses sawed off by their claws, and it would just be loads of joyous fun. Steele was truly a sociopath, and he didn't care in the slightest. But there was only one thing that he completely loathed about his new life. His new name, oh how he hated that name with passion unlike absolutely anything that the executed felon had ever hated in either of his lives.

To Steele, the name Unio was weak, useless, and represented something that he most certainly was not. If it was possible to slay a name, Steele would slay the name Unio without a second thought.

But unfortunately for Matthew Steele, Kiara, Kovu, Simba, and Nala had given him the name Unio, and if he wanted to keep his true identity a secret, he would have to live with the name for the time being.

Little did Steele know how much he would eat his thoughts up as time moved on…

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now. It felt so good to finally get another chapter of this up again. Also, I have just made an iFunny account under the name, TheLionKingFan. Feel free to check me out on there if you wish. As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled quite enough, so I think I'm going to check out. Take care, and I'd like to thank y'all for reading. Bye!**

**-Tex-**


	7. Philosophies

**Hello all, and welcome to the seventh chapter of the story. I apologize for not updating Sunday, but I was really not in the creative groove that particular day. Thanks go to all who reviewed the last chapter, and I'd love it if EVERYONE WHO READS THIS CHAPTER WOULD KINDLY LEAVE A REVIEW! Well, I have done quite enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the seventh chapter of the story!**

**-Tex-**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

By the time Steele reentered the den inside Pride Rock after his visit with Justin, he knew that something had drastically changed. The air seemed to carry a rough edge too it, an edge so rough that it nearly caused the former felon to gag. Simba and Nala lay snuggled tightly together on the royal platform of the den. Kovu lay snoring on the other side of the den, his massive arm holding a recently awoken Kiara, who smiled at Steele, and she began to whisper.

"Hello Unio. Your father and I have some big news to tell you."

The princess nudged her mate, who snorted tiredly as he awoke. "Good morning sunshine!"

Kovu groaned, and tried in vain to fall asleep again, only to have his neck bitten by Kiara.

"Babe, what the hell was that for?"

"One, don't swear in front of Unio."

Steele rolled his eyes. He did not give a shit to whether his "father" swore in his presence or not. It simply did not make any difference. The former human once again tuned in his senses as Kiara began to speak again.

"And also, it's time to tell our son the big news."

Kovu brushed his pitch-black mane and groaned again. "Can't we tell him in the morning?"

"Get up Kovu."

The former Outlander grumbled under his breath before standing up and stretching out his brown-furred body. Steele decided to use this opportunity to have his voice be heard.

"So what is this big news that you two seem so…eager…to notify me of?"

Kiara sighed, and Kovu straightened himself out in anticipation. The young lioness than began to speak. "Unio, I'm going to say it bluntly; there is going to be a new member of the family. I'm pregnant."

Steele chuckled before making the sound of a catcall. "Well now, it seems that the two of you have been quite busy lately. So that's what y'all do when I'm not around? Good to know…Good to know…"

At that, Kiara's face turned the color of bright crimson, Kovu growled in slight anger, and Simba and Nala, from the other corner of the den, along with all of the other lionesses, burst out into uncontrollable laughter. Kovu suddenly began to twitch violently, every fire of his being consumed with a combination of violence and anger.

"UNIO!"

The cub chuckled nervously before dashing out of the den, suddenly quite fearful for his safety. Even after his exit, Kovu continued to angrily twitch as Simba, Nala, and the other pride lionesses would not stop laughing.

Vitani in particular was in absolute hysterics at the revelation from Steele. Tears of laughter were flowing from her bright blue eyes, and the golden tuft of fur on the top of her head swayed gently up and down.

Meanwhile, Steele was once again dashing through the lush grasslands of the Pridelands, heading directly towards the Eastern Forest. Once he arrived there, the wolfdog known as Justin was already there, seeming having been waiting for the return of Steele.

"Seems like you've got something quite important to tell me. Spill it out now!"

Steele sighed, his golden fur bristling in the crisp African breeze, and his fierce sapphire blue eyes staring directly at his friend.

"It appears that we may have some…complications…to our original plan."

Justin gave Steele a quizzical expression, a single eyebrow having been raised. "Well now. How so?"

"It appears that Kovu has knocked up Kiara again. There will be another cub in the family in roughly three months."

Justin placed a paw to his chin in thought. "Yes, that may indeed cause a few complications. Do you feel that this cub is going to be any sort of violent threat?"

"Not at this time, but we will not know for sure until the moment of the actual birth, of course."

Justin nodded his grey-furred head in agreement. "Indeed. My notion was rather foolish, it seems."

Steele rolled his eyes. "That doesn't matter. What we need to figure out is what we are going to do if this cub, and Kiara and Kovu for that matter, become a threat."

Justin's chocolate brown eyes twinkled slightly, and the young hybrid began to grin darkly. "There is always death. Death solves any problem you can imagine."

Steele growled, and pounced on Justin, his teeth bared in anger. "No you idiot! This is why you died the first time around, and I as well, in the case of James Turner. Murder doesn't solve everything. We have to be intellectual about this. We need to manipulate, we need to dominate, we need to corrupt!"

Justin growled as well, and threw Steele off of him. "The real problem is your weakness, Steele. You don't like to get your hands dirty, and you never like to have any fun!"

"Murder is fun for you?"

"And if it is?"

Steele narrowed his sapphire blue eyes, and a desire he had never felt before began to swell up inside of him, which was the desire to secure, and protect.

"I will save you from yourself if I have to. I swear, your brashness and your quick-to-fight mentality is going to be the end of you. Again!"

Justin narrowed his eyes as well, and snarled in a feral manner. "Suit yourself Steele. We're done here."

With that, Justin turned tail and retreated deeper into the forest, leaving Steele to silently reflect on the mysterious events that had just transpired.

**Well, that is going to be all I'm going to write for now! I hope that all of you enjoyed the chapter, and as I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW! I will try to have the next chapter of this posted whenever I possibly can, but it may be a bit. Well, I feel I've babbled enough, so take care, and y'all have a great day!**

**-Tex-**


	8. Revelations

**Hello all, and welcome to the chapter! I'd like to thank everyone who left a review for the last chapter, and when y'all are finished reading, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! On another note, for all wanting a quick laugh, I have a parody one-shot titled **_**Simba, You're Fired!**_** Feel free to check it out if you wish. Well, I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

Steele was lying down at the peak of Pride Rock, absentmindedly listening to the pained screams of Kiara. The lioness had begun the awful process of labor about an hour before, and since then, Steele's headache had not subsided in the least.

As Steele's thoughts began to wander, he rubbed the small tuft of black mane that was beginning to grow on his head. He had now been a lion for seven months, and his attitude about his predicament had changed little since the beginning.

However, there was one thing that had indeed changed significantly. Steele's relationship with Justin had only become more and more strained as time passed, and their last conversation had ended particularly badly…

_Two Weeks Earlier…_

"_Steele, you are making a massive mistake by wanting to leave this cub alive! I say kill the mother in her sleep. That'll solve the cub problem."_

_Steele growled in anger before running one of his paws down his face. "You really don't get it at all, do you? There are thousands of other options besides just killing."_

_Justin narrowed his chocolate brown eyes. "No Matthew Steele, it is you that doesn't understand! You're too patient. You fail to see opportunities when they present themselves, and you are too arrogant, and stupid to see when you are simply in the wrong!"_

_For several moments, neither lion nor hybrid said or did nothing. It wasn't long until Steele felt his right forepaw clench into a fist. With a massive hook, Steele furiously punched Justin right on the nose. The wolfdog yelped in pain, before clutching on to his wounded nose._

"_Damn it Steele! If you broke this, there is going to be absolute hell to pay!"_

_The former human smirked in dark amusement. "We will just have to see about that threat won't we?"_

Since that incident, the cub had not even considered going back, and he was beginning to wonder whether he would actually go back at all. The former human was suddenly drawn out of his thoughts by a loud scream from Kiara, louder than any scream that she had ever screamed before. No more sounds came from the den for several minutes after, and Steele began to feel emotions he never thought he'd have swell up within him.

Concern? Worry? Fear? No…He wasn't supposed to care about these lions. He would be their emperor, their ruler, and they were not his family!

However, as much as he tried, Steele could not deny that he was feeling these emotions. It was a very foreign feeling for Steele. He did know why he was feeling this way, but he decided to accept it as fact and try to forget about his emotions.

As soon as that thought was finished, Kovu walked out of the den, and exhausted and pained expression on his face. His emerald green eyes were drooping, and it appeared that the future king wanted to do nothing more than just lie down and nap.

"Well, it's over Unio. You may go see your mother and your sister now."

Steele's eyes widened. "Sister? The cub is a girl?"

Kovu chuckled lightly. "Yeah, when we say sister they generally refer to a female."

Steele rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked inside the den. Kiara was now sleeping peacefully, tightly holding her little daughter in her arms. She awoke once she noticed the presence of Steele. She grinned widely.

"Hello Unio. Would you like to meet your sister?"

The cub nodded, and approached the small bundle of fur in Kiara's paws. Her fur was golden, the exact shade as his own. Her facial structure resembles Kovu's more than that of her mother. A small tuft of auburn fur was visible on the edge of her little tail.

Steele had to admit that she was quite cute. "What's she going to go by?"

Kiara's bright, happy grin only grew wider at that question. "Her name is Athena."

As if that was her cue, Athena took the opportunity to open her eyes for the very first time. Steele's own orbs widened in shock when he saw their color.

Her eyes were a deep, sapphire blue, the exact same color as his. Steele suddenly began to feel like that he was staring at a female reflection of himself. She was so…innocent. The executed convict wondered whether or not he was ever in a similar position, so cute, small, and fragile.

Then, came one of the main revelations in Steele's life. So many other beings, lion and human, lived happier, more productive, and safer lives doing things that were completely good and legal. What the hell had possessed him to be so different, to be so…cruel?

Steele had no inclination as to what the answers to these questions were, but there were two things Steele felt he knew with absolute certainty. He knew that it was too late for him, but he also knew that he could never allow his sister to be like him.

He now knew why he had been given this second chance. He finally knew what his purpose here was.

And with a final revelation, Steele began to grin.

He might be a corrupted soul, but his sister wasn't, nor would she ever be. Not on Steele's watch.

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now! I'd like to thank all of y'all very much for taking the time to read this chapter. As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I believe that I have babbled far too much, so take care and thanks again for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	9. Changes

**Hello to all, and welcome to the chapter! There was a big jump in reviews last chapter, so I'd like to thank everybody who did so. Let's try to keep it up! PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I think that I have done quite enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

_When Steele regained consciousness after falling asleep for the night, he had not expected to find himself once again floating in a mass expanse of total blackness. The former human groaned in annoyance._

"_Good God, please don't tell me that I was killed in my sleep."_

_A deep, booming voice made itself known in the black expanse. "Hahaha! No you have not, Matthew Steele. You are still just as alive as you were right before you descended into slumber."_

_Steele once again groaned in annoyance, rubbing his black tuft of mane with a single paw. "Then why am I here? I swear, I have not killed anybody in this life!"_

_The voice laughed hardily before uttering his next phrase. "No, you are not here for a trial. It seems that you have already figured out what your mission is going to be, but I am here to tell you of it anyway."_

"_And what is that?"_

_The booming voice let out a long, and very deep sigh. "Protect your little sister Matthew Steele. Young Athena will decide the fate of the Pridelands for eons to come, and you are also a massive figure in this decision. Act wisely, and do not forget who was the one that gave you this second chance."_

_Steele's expression became quite quizzical. "And who exactly, would that be?"_

_The voice did not respond, but a shining light appeared in the expanse of blackness, and it only grew brighter and brighter with every single passing second. _

"_God Almighty…Literally…."_

**-TLK-**

Steele suddenly felt himself awaken, his golden fur pouring with sweat. He took a quick look at the den. It was still the middle of the night, and all of the other Pridelanders were slumbering quietly, if you exclude Kovu, whose snoring could break the sound barrier.

He suddenly realized that there was one member of the pride that was awake. Little Athena, kept warm by the paw of Kiara, was whimpering softly, tears dropping from her young, sapphire blue eyes.

Steele initially ignored her, trying desperately to go back to sleep. However, the young cub continued to whimper, and Steele could not help but get a little upset.

"Damn it! Why won't you just go to sleep already?"

Athena continued to whimper, and she looked up at her older brother, a pleading expression in her young eyes. Steele sighed in reluctant defeat.

"You want a little bit of comfort, don't you? Fine, but I'm only going to do it this once!"

The former human quietly padded over to where Athena was lying, and he gently removed Kiara's paw from her body. The princess did not notice, and she continued to sleep, a happy, slightly dorky grin on her face.

Steele carried little Athena to an unused corner of the den, and he gently put her down. "How to get you to sleep? Let's see, let's see."

Suddenly, to Steele's own surprise, he began to softly sing to his little sister.

"_Along the mountain river flowing._

_A weary merchant was slowing._

_And with the breeze gently blowing._

_He decided it would be best,_

_If he would just stop for a little rest,_

_His goods would have to wait,_

_Because he could just not be bait,_

_Tomorrow would begin with a brand new slate,_

_What would be his fate?_

_His eyelids began to slowly flutter,_

_His resistance melting like butter,_

_His speech was beginning to stutter,_

_With dark night quickly befalling,_

_He found that he was stalling,_

_And with his dreams being deep,_

_He finally began to sleep…"_

Athena gave a little cubbish grin, and she yawned, a little cub yawn, causing Steele to chuckle lightly. Her eyelids were soon closed, and her breathing slowed, signifying that the lullaby had indeed done its intended effect.

The new older brother gave a cheeky grin to his slumbering sister. "Sleep well, you little rascal!"

Steele suddenly began to feel the call of sleep as well. He stretched his body out, in the typical way many lions do, before crawling to a position where he was close to his little sister.

The former convict placed his arm around her shoulder, protecting her with his body. The prince's eyes closed, and he approached closer and closer to sleep.

Right before he once again would lose consciousness, only a single thought passed through the mind of Matthew Steele.

_What the hell is this little ball of fluff doing to me?_

Meanwhile, outside the den in Pride Rock, a lone figure shook its head, consumed with absolute disgust. The figure felt defeated, betrayed, and he felt the need to take what he felt he needed to take.

As he began the trek back to his home, plans, plots, and malevolent strategies spread throughout his mind. The figure knew that whatever plan would become the final one would involve a large amount of blood being shed in some way, shape, or form.

His chocolate brown eyes scanned the surrounding area for any signs of life before he spoke, his voice dark, cold, evil, but strangely calm as well.

"The Pridelands are going to be mine. I know that I am going to have to use any way, shape, act, or form to successfully conquer it. Prince _Unio _will have absolutely no idea what the hell is coming at his direction. BE PREPARED!"

**Well, that is all that I am going to write for now! It seems that some major stuff is right about to happen, and that mysterious figure is going to cause quite a bit of trouble. As I mentioned at the beginning, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW FOR THIS STORY! Well, I feel that I have babbled far too much, so I think that I am going to check out now. Take care, and thank y'all very much for taking the time to read this!**

**-Tex-**


	10. Nightmarish Reality

**Hello to all, and I'd like to welcome you to the latest installment of Birth of Steele. Shout outs go to everybody who reviewed the last chapter. Y'all are awesome, and I really appreciate y'all doing so. On that note, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I think that I have done quite enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**-Tex-**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

Steele felt a little paw interrupt his slumber, awakening him in a manner that he would not have preferred. He rubbed the tuft of pitch-black mane on his head, and groaned slightly.

The former human looked up to see Athena's sapphire blue eyes staring directly into his. Three weeks had passed since her birth, and Athena had grown tremendously since that moment.

She now had the intelligence and speaking capabilities of what Steele compared to a particularly smart six or seven year old human. His little sister still had the exact same effect on him as she had previously, and the former human was worried that he was growing soft.

"What do you want Athena? Sun doesn't come up for several more hours…"

The little princess let out a soft whimper before speaking in a soft, gentle, fearful voice. "I had a nightmare Unio."

The former human sighed, stood up, and stretched, before giving his little sister a weak smile. "Come on. Let's head to the top of Pride Rock and we'll talk about it a little bit, alright?"

"Okay Unio."

The little cub padded out of the den to the tip of Pride Rock, where the moon still stood guard over the land, giving off a small hue of light. Steele followed closely behind his little sister before settling down beside her.

"So what was your nightmare about, sis?"

A tear dropped out of Athena's eyes, dampening her golden fur. "There was these two humans, and they were very, very mean."

Steele sighed. "What did the humans look like?"

Athena sniffled. "Well, one of them was very tall, and he had dark black hair, kind of like the color of your mane. He didn't have any fur, and his eyes were blue like ours. The other was a little bit darker, and he had light brown hair, and his eyes were a deep shade of brown…"

As Athena continued her description of the humans, Steele's eyes widened in absolute shock. _She's talking about Justin and I! I can't lie to her…but if I tell her the truth, she'll hate me._

Steele sighed, and spoke again. "Athena, what were the humans doing?"

"They were very mean. They were taking things from innocents, cussing, and even killing. It was scary."

The former convict put his head down in absolute shame. His own sister was completely terrified of his former self! He then spoke softly, a depressed tone quite evident in his voice.

"Athena, there is something that I have to tell you. The blue eyed human that you saw in your dream…that was me."

"How?"

"Athena, your brother was a bad, bad man. I did all of the stuff that you saw, and even more stuff that you are too young to understand. My name then was Matthew Steele, but people called me either Steele or just Matt."

Tears were now pouring from the eyes of the young cub. "Why?"

"I cannot tell you that because I don't know the answer myself. I was…punished….for my actions and I've been given a second chance here in the Pridelands, but never forget that I AM actually your brother."

Athena dashed down the rock in shock, fear, and horror and began to dash deeper into Prideland territory, showing a complete disregard for any dangers that could possible reside there, especially in the middle of the night.

After recovering from the initial shock of seeing her run away, Steele quickly followed his younger sister in pursuit, trying to find any scent of her. The young lion quickly caught on to one, and he followed the trail, his nose pressed tightly to the ground.

Then suddenly, a piercing noise came from an area close to Steele, and the former human immediately became quite alarmed. The piercing noise was a harrowing scream, and the scream was Athena's.

Athena screamed again, and Steele began to rush frantically in the direction that the scream was coming from, panting and sweating all the way.

When he finally got to the location, Steele was absolutely consumed with horror at what he saw. A very familiar wolfdog had attached Athena to a large tree, and an unsheathed claw was pressed manically against her throat. His eyes were bulging, and his laugh had crossed the border into absolute insanity.

"You see Steele? The plan is working perfectly! She'll be gone, and you and me, we'll…we'll have the throne absolutely uncontested. Won't that be a great world Steele? Won't it be great?"

Steele narrowed his sapphire blue eyes at his former friend. "There is no plan. Not anymore, Justin. Now LET…MY…SISTER…GO!"

Justin just continued to laugh maniacally, his chocolate brown eyes bulging with insanity. "Sorry, Mattie old boy, but we both know that I can't do that. Now do you want to do the honor? It's your last call…"

Knowing that it was his only chance, Steele pounced on Justin, completely surprising his former friend. The two began to tussle in the grasses, biting, scratching, and clawing at one another as much as they possibly could.

However, Steele used Nala's old trick, one he had learned himself, kicking Justin's legs out from under him, before thrusting the enemy forward, pinning him to the ground.

Justin thrashed and growled in vain, trying to break away from Steele's grip. Steele placed a finger on Justin's lower neck, holding it in place for almost half a minute.

Soon, the other former felon was unconscious, and Steele was free to communicate with his sister.

"Are you alright 'Thena?"

Tears pouring from her eyes, the little cub nodded slowly at Steele, warming the former criminals heart.

"Good. Now how about we keep this whole episode a little secret, alright?"

Athena smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Steele smiled as well. As he turned around to head back towards Pride Rock, he heard Athena's voice call out to him.

"Thanks for saving me."

The former human turned around and began to pad back towards her, before kneeling in order to get down to her level.

"You know that I would never, ever hurt you, right?"

Athena nodded, and the siblings embraced tightly, all the warmth and comfort Steele could give pouring into her.

"I love you Athena."

"I love you too. Can I call you Matt? When we're in private, at least?"

Steele pulled away and grinned widely. "Of course you can."

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now. Thank you SO much for taking time out of all of your busy lives to read my story. It really inspires me to continue writing. As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled quite enough at y'all, so take care and thanks for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	11. In the Mind of a Sociopath

**Hello all, and welcome to the chapter. Got some nasty storms over the last few days, so there wasn't a big opportunity to write, but I've got some time now! The John Adams Mini Series Theme Song is playing, and my fingers are prime for typing. Thanks go to all who reviewed the last chapter. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

When Justin finally regained consciousness, he was not a happy wolfdog. The emotion that was most evident was betrayal. All he and Steele had worked for, all the two of them had done was now for nothing.

Steele.

That was a name that Justin had once revered, once followed, and once worshipped. But now, all that name did was leave a very bitter taste in his mouth, and all Justin felt towards his old friend had turned to hatred.

All Justin desired as for the fate of Steele was death. Justin wanted to be the one who stood over his old friend's lifeless corpse, Steele's warm, scarlet blood lightly flowing through his paws.

The former human then took the opportunity to reflect on his tale of the past. In his first life, Justin Wawanaka had been born under the name Linus Dresden in a United States military base in Poland.

However, his mother, a nurse at the base, had died in childbirth, and the boy's father was incarcerated at the time, so little Linus had been given to a young couple that was moving to Honolulu, Hawaii.

The couple, Reggie and Shani Wawanaka, thereby changed the boy's name to Justin.

His life of violence had begun before he had even met Steele, at the tender age of six…

"_Hey look, it's the little dweeb! How are you Justina? Stupid as usual?"_

_The gang of older boys took young Justin's lunchbox and began holding it over his head. Justin tried leaping repeatedly to retrieve it from the air, but each attempt proved unsuccessful. _

_With each failed attempt, the roaring laughter of the older boys simply grew louder and louder. At the same time, Justin's anger grew greater and greater._

_After a few more trials, Justin snapped, and the young boy took a course of action that would become his first tip-toe into the sociopathic mindset. _

_The young boy found two medium sized rocks on the grass beneath his feet. Quickly, Justin whittled one of them into the shape of a point._

_With his chocolate brown eyes narrowed into tight slits, Justin reared back his arm, and threw the pointed stone directly at the ringleader of those whom had abused him constantly._

_The stone hit its target._

_The pointed rock went directly in the ringleader's eye, causing bright scarlet blood to point out of the new wound. He immediately dropped the lunchbox, and collapsed to the ground, screaming and crying in extreme, raw pain. _

_His friends immediately called out for a teacher, rushing to the side of their fallen friend. Justin, eyes still narrowed, simply picked up his lunchbox and calmly walked away from the scene, as if nothing had happened at all._

_It was the first time Justin drew blood, and it most certainly would not be the last._

Justin grinned evilly as he reflected on the memory. The bully had permanently lost sight in that eye, and was required to wear an eye patch for the rest of his life simply to keep the ghastly wound covered.

The young prince of the wolves approached the main cave, and sniffed the ground. The alpha and his mate, a common dog, who were technically his parents, had been out of the den for several hours now, and Justin figured it was unlikely that they would be returning any time soon.

As Justin walked inside the cave, he saw his two younger half-siblings eagerly awaiting his return. They shared the same father as Justin, as the alpha had an adulterous affair with one of the pack's younger females.

Needless to say, his mate was not too pleased when she found out.

The pups padded quickly up to him and nipped at him playfully. "Mbwa, Mbwa, it's so great to see it again!"

Justin snarled angrily, and swatted the two little pups aside. "I thought that I have told you two assholes that my name is Justin. It ain't Mbwa, it's Justin. Freaking Justin. You two little nimrods understand?"

The two little pups whimpered in a mixture of fear and sorrow, before scurrying off into the back of the cave.

Justin laughed in dark amusement as he walked deeper into the cave. He got an odd sensation from beating down on his two younger siblings, a sensation that he enjoyed quite thoroughly.

The wolfdog would have pondered more on that thought, but Justin felt that there was some very symbolic business that urgently needed to be taken care of.

Justin unsheathed a single claw, and he began to make marks in the soil floor of the cave. He drew slowly, making sure that every single letter was absolutely pristine. It took the former human nearly an hour to finish his picture, but once he did, it was quite the magnificent sight.

E

W I L L

D I E

E

W I L L

D I E

E

W I L L

D I E

The picture symbolized Justin's ultimate goals, and there were only two of them, both quite simple.

Justin would kill Steele and take over the Pridelands by force, or he would die trying. There was no other option.

**Phew, that was exhausting! Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now. Thanks go to everybody for reading! As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled enough, so I m going to check out. Take care and thanks for reading!**


	12. Stars

**Hello all, and welcome to the chapter! I apologize for not having updated in quite a while. Life got the better of me, and I've been living in a state of perpetual exhaustion until today. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled quite enough, so without any further ado, here is the chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

Steele lay on his back, watching the bright stars cover the African night sky, marveling in their beauty and majesty. It had been three nights since Justin's attack against Athena. Since then, the former human had been keeping an incredibly close eye on his little sister, watching her every move, and every step.

To speak of the devil, Steele suddenly felt his face meeting the stone ground of Pride Rock, and two small paws pressing down on his back..

"Pinned 'ya!"

Steele chuckled as he shook his little sister off of him before giving her a suspicious expression. "Shouldn't you be sleeping Athena?"

The golden cub blushed before staring at the ground sheepishly. "Maybe."

Steele rolled his eyes before hugging her close. "Don't worry, I'm not going to make you go back. Besides, I had wanted to have a very serious conversation with you."

"About what?"

Steele sighed. "You'll see."

He once again looked up into the stars, and Athena did the very same. Steele began to speak softly, barely more than a whisper.

"Has Kovu ever told you that the stars are the Great Kings of the Past, gallantly watching over us?"

Athena nodded. "Yeah, they're always going on about that. I don't know what to think…"

Steele smiled slightly. "Well, I can tell you for certain that he's incorrect."

"What? How?"

Steele pointed to Alpha Centauri, it's dim red light an oddball among the bright bulbs of blue and white. "Stars are really these massive circles, larger than Earth, very far away, made out of gas and dust."

Athena's sapphire blue eyes widened in absolute wonder at the new information presented to her. "Wow…how do you know all of this Matt?"

Steele grumbled under his breath. "Mrs. Matthew's 6th Grade Science class…which I failed badly."

"What?"

Steele chuckled nervously. "Never mind…you see Athena, a massive explosion is what created the universe, but what has baffled us is how this explosion came to be."

"How did it come to be Matt?"

Steele chuckled again. "I don't think even God knows…"

A puzzled expression appeared on Athena's young face. "Who's God?"

"The one that saved me from myself." Steele leaned down and nuzzled Athena lovingly. "You'll understand more when you are a little bit older."

"Matt?"

"Yes?"

Athena began to shiver. "Who was the wolf that tried to kill me earlier?"

Steele shivered as well before bowing his head regretfully. "That was pure evil, and Justin is his name. We were close friends when the two of us were both human."

"Why would you be friends with someone who is evil?"

Steele sighed. "Athena, you forget that I wasn't all peaches and sunshine either when I was human."

"Oh."

The former human put a paw around his sister's back and held her close. "I love you, you know that?"

Athena giggled softly. "Love you too Matt."

"Come on. You really need your sleep, and I'm starting to get really tired myself."

With that, the two siblings walked quietly back to Pride Rock, being careful not to disturb any of the slumbering adults.

**-TLK-**

The next morning, Steele was cruelly awoken by a nudge from Kiara, who wore a massive grin on her golden face.

"Good morning Unio. Today is a really big day!"

Steele groaned in response. "I think twenty-four hours is long enough…"

Kiara laughed, and nudged him again, this time a little bit harder. "Get up Unio. Today is the day that you will finally meet your betrothed!"

With that, Steele immediately perked up. "Betrothed?"

Kiara nodded. "Yes! There are no other female cubs in the pride aside from your sister, and the royal line must go on!"

Steele growled angrily in response. "Who?"

"Princess Skye of the Western Savannah. She is the fourth cub, and the only daughter, of their king."

Steele stood up, and narrowed his eyes at his mother. "How dare you?"

Kovu, who had been watching the scene from a hidden corner, now entered the scene. "Excuse me?"

"You couldn't even be bothered to ask me first before you made such a rash decision? You are forcing me to spend the rest of my life with someone that is not of my choosing!"

Kovu narrowed his emerald green eyes, his scar gleaming in the light, his brown fur rustling. "You have no right to be saying this to us! We know what's best for you. The match is perfect, and your personalities are equal! You don't know what's good for you…"

Steele let out an all-out roar at his parents. "I don't know what's good for me? I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME? I know more than you can possibly imagine, and I am disgusted that you are restricting my life like this!"

Kiara glared at her son. "You WILL marry Skye, and you WILL produce an heir with her. It has been decided for you for the sake of the kingdom."

"And what if I care more about my happiness?"

Kovu snarled at the question. "Then you will make a pretty pathetic king indeed."

Steele sighed in though, before responding, his voice much calmer, but still laced with ice cold venom. "So be it."

**Well, that is going to be all that I am going to write for now! Huge props go to Keep Calm and Join Team Loki for letting me use Skye, which is completely her character. As I mentioned above, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have blabbed far too much, so I think I'm going to call it quits. Take care and thank y'all very much for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	13. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

**Well, I've got a good six hours to write, while I wait for my round in a Debate tournament, so I figured that I might as well post a chapter! Thanks go to everybody who reviewed the last chapter. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have done quite enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the long-awaited chapter!**

**-Tex-**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

On the cool, rocky steps of Pride Rock, Athena slept peacefully under the bright African sun. Her dreams were filled with happy times, most involving her older brother, he being her role model and driving force in her young life.

The very brother that had been present in her dream suddenly awaked her, but unfortunately for Athena, a solemn expression was on his face.

"Hi Matt! Why'd you wake me up?"

Steele sighed in sadness. "Athena, I have to go."

The face of the young lioness fell drastically. "What do you mean?"

"I have to go, as in, I have to leave the Pridelands."

Tears began to stream across Athena's young face. "W-why?"

Steele's eyes narrowed into a glare, and his golden muzzle curved into an angry snarl. "Kovu and Kiara. They are forcing me to marry somebody that was not of my choosing, and I will not have any of it. This is my way of showing them that they don't own me…"

Athena began to bawl, the tears flowing down her face like the River Nile during an angry thunderstorm. "Take me with you, please!"

Steele embraced Athena tightly, and kissed the back of her head. "Athena, as much as I want to, I cannot do that. You'll be much safer here, under the protection of the entire pride."

Athena nodded in understanding and sniffed, the tears still streaming down her face. "Will you ever come back?"

"Of course I'll come back. I couldn't go the rest of my life without seeing my little sister."

Steele let go, and began to back away slowly from Athena, his face becoming more and more mournful as time went on. Finally, he turned his back to all he had known in his second life, and Steele began to sprint.

His paws pounded against the soft, moist ground of the Savannah, little particles of dirt and dust scattering the cool air. Steele did not just how fast he was running, how far he was from Pride Rock, or did he know what was about to befall him…

**-TLK-**

"Sorry, _Father, _but you have LOST. My time for power is now, and you are standing in the way."

The alpha wolf choked under Justin's grip, but he managed to successfully utter out a few words. "What demon of hell possessed you to do this?"

Justin only tightened his grip. "I'm my own man, motherfucker, and there wasn't any demon that has possessed me. Now, if I recall, you are a little bit late for your death."

Justin took a single claw, and placed on the alpha's throat. With a mirthful glee, he pushed in, before sliding the claw to the right. The alpha's eyes widened, and blood began to gush rapidly from his throat.

"Fu…fucking asshole."

With that final phrase, the alpha make, and Justin's biological father died, a painful, lonely, and undignified death. Justin gently bent down, and licked some of the blood from the dead wolf's throat.

"Delicious. The first part of the coup has begun. Now for the real fun…"

**-TLK-**

Steele was still sprinting, his will determined, and his stamina better than it ever had been in his either of his lives. However, the young lion was finally beginning to notice his surroundings.

The trees were much higher than in the Pridelands, and the other vegetation was beginning to reflect an incredibly familiar setting.

"Shit. I'm in the Eastern Forest now. Hope Justin doesn't find me…"

"Too late, you double-crossing dickbiscuit!"

Steele gasped as he saw Justin walking out from behind a shrub, fresh blood dripping from his feral muzzle.

"Justin, I have defeated you before, and I will defeat you again! We are ALONE!"

The last comment made just chuckle, his chocolate brown eyes dancing with sadistic glee. "Oh, I'm not alone."

Suddenly, several wolves crawled out of the bushes, each and every single of them snarling very angrily at Steele. The former human's face was now consumed with absolute fear.

"Why, Justin? Why are you doing this?"

Justin rolled his eyes, before chuckling, his laugh sounding like that of a crazy old farmer who had just found his lucky pitchfork.

"You know why, Matthew Steele, you know why." Justin then turned to all of the wolves by his side. "My subjects, slaughter this heathen!"

The wolves immediately charged directly at Steele, leaving the young lion almost completely defenseless. Steele unsheathed his claws and slapped away the first wolf that pounced, leaving three long marks on her face.

Steele managed to deflect the second wolf as well, but soon, the third and fourth wolves pounced in rapid succession in one another. Five, six, seven, eight, more and more wolves pounced on Steele, causing him to put up less and less resistance to the attack.

Soon, Steele uttered a loud, unearthly scream, a scream that seemed to defy all laws of sound and the capability of all life on planet Earth.

Steele soon began to slip into unconsciousness, the only sound he was able to hear being the dark, maniacal laugh of Justin Wawanaka.

**Well, this is all that I am going to write at this very moment in time. Thank all of you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to read my humble story here. I really, and truly appreciate it. As I mentioned in my very first author's note, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled quite enough, so at this time, I will be checking out of the writing hotel. Later y'all, and thanks for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	14. Confrontation

**Hello all, and welcome to the chapter. I was frankly surprised by the urgency in some of the reviews for me to update once again, so here I am. Note, if the cursing in this story, "offends" you, I apologize, but it's part of characterization and the general tone of the story. I will not be taking it away. That being said, thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, and PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have blabbed enough, so without any further ado, here is the chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**

"What do you mean he LEFT?"

Athena shriveled back, trembling against the wall of the den, her sapphire blue eyes not withholding the fear that was rapidly growing inside of them.

"He…he…he left the Pridelands. He said he had to go because Mommy and Daddy were going to force him to marry someone he did not want to. Is this true Grandpa?"

Simba sighed, and turned to Nala, who sported a slightly concerned and slightly angry expression on her face. The lioness gave her mate a quick nod, and Simba turned back down to his granddaughter.

"Yes, Athena, it's sadly true. Your mother and father did something unacceptable, and I am going to have to have a very long word with them." Simba then turned to his mate. "Nala, could you watch Athena while I have a heated discussion with my daughter and son-in-law?"

Nala immediately shook her head in negation. "No way Simba. I have just as much, if not more, right to yell at the two of them than you do."

The red-maned king of Pride Rock nodded submissively. His wife still had him absolutely whipped when it mattered most, such as a moment like that current one. "Alright, but who is going to watch Athena?"

"I will. Go deal with my idiot brother."

Nala grinned as she realized to whom the voice belonged to. "Thanks Vitani."

"No problem. Now go."

**-TLK-**

When Steele finally regained consciousness, everything was black, and his senses were dysfunctional and numb. It took all of the willpower that he could muster to try to open his sapphire blue eyes.

Soon, his eyelids began to flutter slightly. After much more effort, he blinked several times, and his vision was finally clear and alert. The former human made a quick scan of his surroundings.

It appeared he had been moved, as he was no longer in the familiar Eastern Forest, but in a dense jungle, tall green grasses bursting out of the ground, and palm trees the size of some skyscrapers towering over the area. It was at that moment when Steele decided that he would attempt to stand up.

However, as soon as he even tried to move, sharp, piercing pain began to course through his entire body, penetrating even his very soul. Steele screamed, and returned to his previous position

"Yeah, I wouldn't do that if. You were basically dead when I found you, and if you do too much, you could still possibly end up that way."

Steele sharply moved his gaze to the left, and he saw a young lioness, about his age, standing guard over him. She had grey fur, and light blue eyes, with a sharp ferocity to them the likeness of which Steele had never seen. He tried to speak, gagging slightly, but he was eventually able to speak, his voice rough, gravely, and deep.

"Thanks…for the tip."

The lioness grinned in amusement, the ferocity in her eyes not dimming in the slightest. "Glad I was able to help. So, what exactly got you into that situation?"

"What…situation?"

The young lioness shrugged. "You know, the situation in which I find you lying on the ground, a river of blood flowing from your lifeless body, yet you still miraculously have a pulse."

Steele worked up the energy to narrow his eyes before he spoke. Hatred radiated off his very being. "I run away…betrothal…wolves…attack."

The lioness clacked her teeth before nodding. "Yeah, those overgrown Chihuahuascan do quite a bit of damage."

"Like I…didn't…know that."

The lioness chuckled lightly. "So what pissed them off?"

"So many…questions."

"Just answer."

"Be…trayal. My friend…dark…betrayed me."

The lioness grimaced slightly. "That's rather harsh. Damn that guy to hell then!"

"So what are you…doing here?"

The young lioness shifted uncomfortably. "Similar to you actually. I was a princess in my old pride. But then those idiots decided to betroth me to some prince that I didn't know in some faraway pride without even consulting me."

"Sounds…familiar."

She chuckled, and then continued. "Well, I decided I wasn't going to let the bastards decide what I do with my life any longer, so I ran away. I lived in the jungle for about two weeks before I found you."

"How long…was I out?"

"About a week. I covered your wounds and gave you water."

Steele managed to form the amount of energy required to smile slightly. "Thank…you."

The lioness smiled, finally feeling appreciated for once in her life. "Don't mention it. So what was the name of the lioness you were supposed to marry?"

"What was…the name…of the lion…you were supposed to…marry?"

The lioness sighed sadly. "His name is Unio."

Steele's eyes widened in shock at the stunning turn of events. The future he had run away from had just saved his life. And she actually wasn't annoying!

"That's what…my biological…parents…called me."

The eyes of the lioness also widened in shock, before she sat down to contemplate things. "Well, this is quite the surprising turn of events."

"It sure is…Skye…but please…don't call me…Unio…call me…Steele."

Skye smiled at him. "Well, the previous _arrangement _no longer matters. We're both outcasts now, and we both need to survive."

"I think…a banana…could have figured that…out."

Skye laughed at Steele's joke, and the young lion smiled. This would not be so hard to manage after all.

**Well, that will be all that I am going to write at this current moment. Thank you all so much for taking time out of your busy lives in order to read my humble story here. As I mentioned previously, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW! Well, I have babbled enough, so I am going to end this here. Take care, and thanks for reading!**

**-Tex-**


	15. Daddies Dearest

**Well y'all, I am finally back. I apologize for keeping all y'all waiting so long, but my life got incredibly busy, but enough about my struggles and controversies. I'd like to thank everybody who kindly reviewed the last chapter. It is y'all that really make me want to come back and keep writing this story! Well, I believe I have done enough blabbing, so without any further ado, here is the chapter!**

**DISCLAMIER: I OWN NOTHING**

_February 29, 2016_

_Duluth Juvenile Detention Center_

_Duluth, Minnesota _

In the large halls of the Duluth Juvenile Detention Center, only one man moved. It was the dead of night. The birds outside were silent, but the yowls of coyotes were quite evident.

The man had a rugged and disheveled appearance. His hair was an angry shade of grey, with a few light brown streaks still remaining. It was also quite long, extending in a ponytail all the way down to his lower back. Stubble covered the lower portion of his face, its coloring the same shade as his hair.

He wore a dark blue uniform, and he carried a large mop with a small tub of soapy water. His nametag bore a simple name. But this name had a very dark past, filled with very dark deeds and very dark incidents.

The nametag bore the name Brent A. Steele.

Hidden by the uniform were three scars, each in the shape of a circle. One was on his right arm, one was on his left shoulder, and one was in his groin. Those shots changed everything.

Brent Steele had gone from a high-paying office job, to being convicted of domestic assault and child neglect charges. His son, who had been the shooter, had gotten off scot-free, which angered Brent like he had never been angered at any point in his entire life.

He had served his time in a state prison, and he was now relegated to being a janitor in a juvenile detention facility. As he was finishing his shift, he noticed something extremely peculiar lying on the ground.

He took of his gloves, and gently picked up the peculiar item. It was a ticket, an airline ticket. It was to a small airport in northwestern South Africa, two days from then. Brent didn't have a clue how the ticket ended up there, but he was not going to file any complaints about it. Brent Steele had found a way out of his hell.

**-TLK-**

It had been a little more than a week since Matthew Steele had regained consciousness. Skye had forbidden him to speak until the current day, in order to let his mind and body recover. But now he was once again allowed to speak.

The grey-furred lioness suddenly returned, dragging the mangled carcass of an antelope with her.

"Eat up, soldier. You need your strength."

Steele looked up into her sky blue eyes, a grateful expression on his face. "Thanks, although I could have probably gotten that myself."

Skye sighed and rolled her eyes. "In your dreams Steele, in your dreams."

Steele tried to chuckle, but found that he still unfortunately did not have the capability to do so. Instead, he deduced that a change of subject was necessary.

"So what was life like back for back in your old pride?"

Skye side, her emotions a mixture of happiness, guilt, and deep depression. "Well, there were my parents. They didn't care about me much. I was the fourth, just born to form some marriage alliance to another pride. They didn't even love one another. Physically attracted, yes, but most certainly not love. The marriage was purely political."

Steele nodded slightly, and Skye continued on with the description of her family.

"Then there were my three older brothers of course." She rolled her eyes. "They're such typical males. They didn't care for politics, diplomacy, or knowledge. No, for them, it's all about wrestling in the mud and foolish competitions that hold no value whatsoever."

Steele smiled at that statement. "That kind of behavior leads to pathetic morons who think killing something is the absolute best way to solve a problem.

Skye visibly relaxed, and sighed in relief. "I'm glad you think the exact same way that I do. I was hoping that you were not one of _them_."

Steele's grin widened, but Skye's expression suddenly saddened, and a tear strode down her cheek. "And then there was Devon."

"Devon who?"

"Devon is my one and only. He's just the sweetest lion that you'll ever meet, but hurt those he loves and he'll be your worst enemy. We were so deeply in love. I was about to ask my father if I could have special permission to marry him, but then he…but then he…but-"

"But then he betrothed you to me."

Skye nodded quickly and silently, but then broke down weeping, the emotional pain being too much for her to handle.

"Damn it Father, why did you have to do this to me! I had everything! I had absolutely everything that I ever needed, and you ripped from my paws, ripped it from my very soul! I hate you, you greedy, selfish, misogynistic asshole! I never want to see your pathetic face again. I never want to see it…never want to see it…"

Skye thrust her head into her paws, and continued to sob uncontrollably. Steele, having absolute idea what the hell to do in that situation, covered his head with his paws and tried to fall back into the state of slumber.

It took a lot of effort, but Steele eventually managed to tune out the angry shrieks of Skye, and fell asleep.

**Well, that is all that I am going to write for now! I have absolutely no idea whenever the next chapter for this will be up, but I will promise that I will do whatever I can to update this as soon as I can. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO KINDLY LEAVE ME A REVIEW. IT'S WHAT KEEPS ME WRITING! Well, I have babbled quite enough, so take care, and thank y'all for reading.**

**-Tex-**


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